Invisibility (On the flexibility of magic)

Wizards are like iphones.  Whereas iphones have an app for that, Wizards have a spell for that.  Really, they do.  At least they did in pre-4e editions.  Of course having the right spell for the job when you need it can be the problematic part.  That said there are goodly sets of spells that can replace entire party members if used with sufficient intelligent application.
Art from Magicka (you should sense a theme by now.  Don't worry if you don't like it, it will pass)
LooneyDM out

Control Weather

Okay, technically the spell from the game is called "Rain" and not control weather.  But Control Weather really needs to be used responsibly.  Or irresponsibly depending on your level of maturity.  Not that it can't be used for good and awesome.   It's just the possibilities for annoying people are much higher.  Rain when you don't want it? Check.  Tornadoes? Check.  Straight line Winds?  Check.  The chances for mischief and destruction are incredibly high.  Which is why you should ban this spell in your games.

Art from Magicka
LooneyDM out

Grease

Mundane tricks are for mundanes.  Wizards do all their trickery with magic.  Or magicka as the case may be.  The poor yellow mage gets no love.  As he shouldn't.  Yellow is a terrible color. 

Art from Magicka
LooneyDM out

Weapon Proficencies

Weapon proficiencies are an odd sort of mechanic.  They make sense and all but the randomness of what certain classes get vs what they don't is rather out there.  I mean look at the bard and the rogue.  I'm sure there's some sort of legacy involved in why they don't just get simple or martial weapons but it's plain nonsense to me.  And their random exotic proficiencies stand out even further from the crowd since they don't get a blanket ability for martial.  I mean whips?  What are these bards doing in their spare time anyways? 
Art from Magicka again
LooneyDM out

Summon Monster

Summon monster is such a useful spell.  Even out of  combat it has many uses.  The versatility is incredible for a single line of spells.  And as you learn the higher level ones it only expands.  Especially if you bring in more monster manuals.

Art from Magicka
LooneyDM out

Fire Resistance

This is a very important item to remember.  Resistance does not equal immunity.  Just because you resisted all of the damage this time doesn't mean the DM won't throw more of it at you next time.  Also I have been entirely remiss in my quotage from my games even though they've been mostly on schedule.

Art from GIS for "magicka burning"
LooneyDM out

No idea where I left off, so starting from a random spot.

Rush: (( /me uses the Scan spell >_> ))
Iki: (( I misread that as Spam spell ))

Pliny: (( We're monsters, dammit. We fear nothing! ))

Pliny: (( I am a glass-half full kinda bard, so I will count 50% as a victory! ))

Iki: (( the bear rugs look like pancakes with little limbs. ))

Haruhi: (( what is that? some kind of stance where you have to move to keep it active? ))
Laemkral2 : ((stance of the hyperactive child))
Laemkral2 : ((Hey mom lookatme, lookatme, lookatme, I HAVE AC BONUS! HEY MOM!))

Pliny: (( I say combat. It's like environmentalism, only more violent! ))

I'kishaeila: "Fire will chase the bugs out nd takes care of the people infesting the city."
Haruhi: "But if we burn the whole city how am I going to get my cake?"

Pliny: (( Sounds like a job for the A-Team! No wait... wrong game. ))

Boddiwyn: (( lets see what dicekhan has to say! ))

Boddiwyn: (( hmm, i wonder if the egg wil hatch   ))
Iki: (( Thransil will sit on it until it hatches. ))

Pliny: (( 4d6 extra fire damage for everyone! ))
LooneyGM: (( everyone? ))
Pliny: (( Everyone who is my ally. ))
Pliny: (( The orcs get nothing and like it! ))

LooneyGM: (( Pliny is a god ))
LooneyGM: (( go ))
LooneyGM: (( my typing is a mess tonight ))
Pliny: (( Aww, I want god powers ))

Iki: (( I can intimidate them back to life? ))
LooneyGM: (( no, you can't intimidate them back to life. You're not a 4e warlord. ))

Haruhi: (( also I think we need a character named Tom Servo now ))
Haruhi: (( to be Crow's friend ))

Pliny: (( I'm writing a song about it ))
Haruhi: (( well you ARE a bard ))

Pliny: (( Yeah, I'll have to walk up to get them in range ))
Pliny: (( If I die doing this, it's your guys' fault ))

Pliny: (( So uh... who wants to save my bacon? ))
Iki: (( BACON! ))

Pliny: (( Two guess as to what I plan to do? ))

Haruhi: (( tap dance! ))

LooneyGM: Iki's cleavage goes wild
LooneyGM: (( wide ))
Haruhi: (( also HURR WILD CLEAVAGE ))
Pliny: (( Yeah, that is a weird mental image ))
Haruhi: (( A WILD CLEAVAGE APPEARS ))
LooneyGM: (( A wild cleavage appears! ))
Haruhi: (( LOONEYGM USES OGLE ))
Haruhi: (( IT'S SUPER EFFECTIVE ))
Pliny: (( It makes me think Iki needs a new sports bra ))

Pliny: (( You guys. If I die, I want you to have my orange juice. ))

Thransil: (( kill checks are good to roll high on :-P  ))

LooneyGM: The horses all appear to be of the magebred variety
Pliny: (( We can tell because they have identifying tags. ))
Pliny: (( Like beanie babies. ))

LooneyGM: The horses respond much more suitably to Pliny
LooneyGM: (( it's the hoofed feet ))
LooneyGM: (( oh wait, Iki has those too ))
Pliny: (( I probably smell less like the blood of my enemies than she does ))

* Iki makes like a horse herder.
LooneyGM: (( you mean a cowboy? ))
LooneyGM: (( do you put on your 20 gallon hat? ))
Iki: (( YES. ))

Pliny: (( I believe him automatically. Just 'cause. ))
LooneyGM: (( cause kitty? ))
Pliny: (( 'Cause kitty! ))

Thransil: "I agree, friend Iki...my fireball finger is getting itchy."
I'kishaeila: "Fireball finger... that sounds like a medical problem."

Pliny: (( I am going to start losing what little lucidity I have, soon ))
I'kishaeila: (( that makes the game more interesting! ))

Dump Stats (Wisdom)

Wizards don't need wisdom.  Okay they technically do because it helps their will saves.  Or if you're in 4th and using the right build it affects your secondaries.  But it's still way more fun to play with a wizard who dumps wisdom.  "Hmm, if we ring the walls of the building with explosive runes we can setup a perfect ambush."  "Won't that destroy the building?"  "No plan is perfect."

Art from magicka website.
LooneyDM out

PvP

There are days that the game feels like the only reason your players showed up is to try to kill each other in the most ridiculous ways possible.  I once had players who were jailed try to kill each other with the shoes off their feet.  It was an amusing session to say the least. 

Art from GIS for "magicka pvp"
LooneyDM out

Game Balance

I've had a revelation.  I don't care about game balance.  As a player that is.  As a DM is a completely different story.  As a player I want the system to give me the tools to play the character I want to play.  I'm not really concerned about the ramifications of the character I've build beyond it being an interesting character to play and being decent at the job I chose.  As a DM I care a lot about system balance.  If the system is balanced, I can give general character creation guidelines and receive characters of similar competence from all players.  If the system is balanced I can spend more time working on the concept behind an encounter and where it fits into the story, rather than worrying about its difficulty.  Yes, I'm aware that there are systems that don't care and expect you to eyeball the encounters or "not care" about their difficulty.  I prefer systems with balance.  Because with balance I am better informed from the get go, instead of by sheer trial and error.  I enjoy the game more when I don't have to DM for a while or have previous experience to determine the difficulty of the situation I'm throwing at my players.  Balance gives me that info and makes me a happy DM.

Art from here
LooneyDM out

All Wizard Party

There are days when no one wants to play the big stupid fighter.  Why let that stop you from having fun?  Play right and you don't need them anyways.  Many classes can be replaced with judicious usage of other class abilities.  Like the druid's animal companion.  Good replacement for many of the martial classes.  With an all wizard party you have to be much more careful though.  Nobody can soak a hit and until you hit higher levels summoning a spare meatshield isn't entirely feasible.  But once it is, then you can completely go to town.

Art from GIS for "magicka"
LooneyDM out

Plan B

I have players that think like this.  You have players that think like this too.  We've all had players that think like this, or even been players that think like this.  This appears to be turning into a series.  Not that that's a bad thing.  Magicka tends to exemplify a lot of the standard RPG player behaviors in an exceedingly humorous manner.

Art from GIS for "magicka"
LooneyDM out

Anachronism

Yes, that is a wizard. Yes, he is wielding a M60.  Don't scorn it, love it.  Because as much as your wizard is the boom stick himself there are just days when you want to break out the boom stick and mow down some goblins.  Supposedly D&D used to be more like this in the silly and anachronistic way.  Too bad we've moved beyond that into "serious roleplay" where science fiction showing up in fantasy isn't received well at all.  The picture is of course from Magicka.  A completely silly game with an awesome casting system.  I do wish there was a RPG that mimicked its casting system as the base system is very simple but the effects produced cover lots of ground mechanically.  I may do a series of posters based off the Magicka game.  We'll see.

Art is a screenshot from Magicka
LooneyDM out

Failed Skill Checks

In my group there's always a  tendency to turn failed skill checks into a humorous situation.  I let the player know they have failed the skill check.  Then I let them narrate the results of their failure.  Sometimes they doesn't narrate much.  Other times the failures are hilarious.  Especially on failed monster knowledge rolls.  The number of crazy definitions provided for these is amusing.  It also provides humor for the other players at the table.  I do go the other way of course. On a passed or highly exceeded skill check I let the player narrate their results.   Over all it seems to work very well and adds to the enjoyment of all.

Art from GIS for "clumsy"
LooneyDM out